Pinch-drummer in place for Tribe on opening day

The Indians will use a pinchdrummer for their home opener.

With longtime drummer and ballpark fixture John Adams recovering from heart surgery and unable to attend his first opener in Cleveland in 48 years, Black Keys drummer and lifelong Indians fan Patrick Carney will fill in and pound away from the left-field bleachers at Progressive Field during Monday’s game against Detroit.

“When I found out that John Adams wouldn’t be able to make opening day in Cleveland for the first time in almost fifty years, I reached out to the team,” Carney said. “I share John’s love of baseball and the Cleveland Indians franchise, and drumming for him during the home opener when he can’t physically be there feels like a meaningful way to show John the love and respect he deserves.

“I want to be there for John.” The Indians said Adams, who first started banging away on his drum in 1973, will bestow drumming duties and his bleacher seat for the day to Carney during an in-game video presentation.

A rocking duo from Akron, The Black Keys (Carney and lead singer Dan Auerbach) have produced plenty of their own hits, such as “Lonely Boy,” “Gold on the Ceiling,” “Little Black Submarines” and ‘Tighten Up.’ ”

Trivia question

Happy birthday to former Padres outfielder Cameron

Maybin, who turns 34 today. The outfielder finds himself without a major league team this spring for the first time in 15 years. For how many teams has Maybin played?

It’s worth a lot

The captain’s armband that Cristiano Ronaldo angrily threw to the ground during Portugal’s World Cup qualifier in Belgrade last week has been sold to an unidentified bidder for 64,000 euros ($75,000) at a charity auction, Serbian state TV reported on Friday.

A Serbian humanitarian group put the blue armband up for online bidding to raise money for medical treatment for a 6-month-old boy suffering with spinal muscular atrophy.

The three-day auction didn’t pass without controversy as some participants tried to disrupt the process by putting up unrealistically huge sums.

The fake bidding triggered public outrage with authorities pledging to find and punish the culprits.

They said it

• From Bob Molinaro in the Norfolk Virginian-pilot, after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced that sports venues will be allowed to allow fans at 50 percent capacity: “Judging from the Baltimore Orioles’ 2019 attendance figures, this is about 30 percent more than what’s needed at Camden Yards.”

• From Danny Vietti of Cbssports.com, via Twitter: “Yes, when Francisco Lindor’s contract expires in 2032, the Mets will still be paying Bobby Bonilla (2035).”

Trivia answer

Maybin has been with eight teams — four years each with the Padres (2011-14) and Marlins as his longest stops. He’s also played for the Tigers, Braves, Cubs, Angels, Yankees, Mariners and Astros. His best attribute has been his speed. He had more than half of his career steals with the Padres (74), including a career-high 40 in 2011, tying him for second in the National League.